Clothes hanger rack for closets



April 3, 1956 w. F. SlMPKlNS 2,740,531

CLOTHES HANGER RACK FOR CLOSE-TS Filed July 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Fig.2 L,

34 30 l0 I2 263 f I 24 22 I I l I I/////// Walter E .Slmplrlhs IN VENTOR.

BY WW EM April 3, 1956 w. F. SIMPKINS CLOTHES HANGER RACK FOR CLOSETS 2SheetsSheet 2 Filed July 8, 1953 a/fer E S/mp/r/hs INVENTOR.

BY (Wavy 19% CLOTHES HANGER RACK FOR CLQSETS Walter F. Simpkins,Jonesboro, Ark., assignor of onethird to Anna J. Ragsdale and one-thirdto Pat Simpkins, Jonesboro, Ark.

Application July s, 1953, Serial. No. 366,800

1 Claim. e1. 211-94 This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements and structural refinements in racks for clothes hangers,and the principal object of the invention is to provide a rack of thecharacter herein described, which is particularly well adapted forinstallation in a closet, which is readily adjustable to conform toclosets of different widths, and which may be quickly and easily swungfrom an inoperative, storage position to an operative service positionto facilitate installation or removal of clothes hangers.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its efiicient operation and in its adaptability toeconomical manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention installed in a closet,the later being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the planeof the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially in the planeof the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional detail illustrating a modified form of oneof the rack sections;

Figure 5 is a sectional view, similar to that shown in Figure 2, butillustrating a modified embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of theline 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective view, illustrating a further modifiedembodiment of the invention;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of theline 8-8 in Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Figure7.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, particularly toFigures 1, 2, and 3, the clothes hanger rack assembly is designatedgenerally by the reference charactor 19 and embodies in its constructiona horizontally elongated unit consisting of an outer section 12 and aninner section 14 which is slidably telescoped in the outer section. Theinner section 14 is preferably of a T-shaped cross section as is bestshown in Figure 3 so that it may slide on inwardly projecting,supporting ledges 12a of the outer section 12. The outer section 12 isalso provided with a pair of spaced, depending webs 16 formed with setsof apertures 18 to receive the customary hooks 20 of clothes hangers, asindicated by the dotted line in Figure 3.

The inner section 14 is provided in the upper surface thereof with a rowof screw-threaded bores 22 to selec tively receive the lower end portionof a shank 24, the

ited States Patent 0 "Tree vided at the free end of the inner section14.

When the invention is installed in the closet 38 and is in its storageposition as shown by the full lines in Figure 1, the sections 12, 14 areextended transversely between the side walls 44 of the closet while theupper end of the member 42 abuts the underside of the top wall 36,thereby securely sustaining the rack in its horizontal position. In thisconnection it will be noted that by virtue of the selected positioningof the shank 24 in the bores 22 and by virtue of the slidabletelescoping of the sections 12, 14, the distance between the members 40,42 may be increased or decreased so as to conform to the spacing of thecloset side walls.

When clothes hangers are to be applied to or removed from the rack, themember 44 of the section 12 is utilized as a handle and the entire rackis rotated in a horizontal plane to a position indicated by the dottedline 46 in Figure 1, wherein the rack is substantially parallel to theside walls 44.

Thereupon, while the upper end of the member 42 abuts the underside ofthe top wall 36 so as to sustain the rack in its horizontal position,the rack section 12 may be slid forwardly and outwardly of the closet onthe rack section 14, to facilitate installation or removal of clotheshangers from the apertures 18.

In the event that additional supporting contact between the sections 12,14 is desired, the inner section 14 may assume a mushroom-shaped crosssectional configuration as indicated at 14a in Figure 4. Thisconfiguration conforms substantially to the inside configuration of theouter section 12, as will be clearly apparent.

Referring now to a modified embodiment of the invention shown in Figures5 and 6, the outer rack section 50 has slidably telcscoped therein theinner section 52 which, in this instance, is provided with a pluralityof vertical apertures 54 to receive the suspension shank 56. Theapertures 54 are counterbored as shown at 58 to accommodate a washer anda nut 60 at the lower end of the shank 56. The upper end of the shank 56carries a similar washer and nut 62 which is rotatably housed in asocket 66 fixed to the top wall 36.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9,this embodiment being designated generally by the reference numeral 70and consisting of a pair of slidably telescoped tubular sections 72, 74,which are provided at the outer ends thereof with downturned andupturned supporting members 76, 78, respectively.

The section '74 is formed at the top thereof with a row ofscrew-threaded apertures to selectively receive a suspension unit 82,while the underside of the section 74 is provided with a longitudinalslot 84. A pair of straps 86 are secured to and depend from the section72, one of these straps being slidable in the slot 84, as shown. Ahorizontal bar 38 is secured to the lower end portions of the straps 36and is intended to receive clothes hangers thereon.

As is shown in Figure 9, a stop 90 is provided in the slot 84 to abutthe inner of the straps 36, so as to limit the extent to which thesection 72 may be slid outwardly from the section 74.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will bereadily understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly,further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A clothes hanger comprising inner and outer elongated sectionstelescoping for sliding adjustment to vary the length of said hanger tofit between side walls of a closet, a suspending shank for the hangerupstanding from one ofthe sections and having an enlarged upper end, a10 socket attachable to the top wall of a closet and in which saidenlarged upper end of the shank is swivelled so that said hanger isrotatable horizontally on said socket and adapted to be tiltedvertically in a closet, an upstanding end member on one of the sectionsengageable with a top wall of a closet to limit tilting of said hangerin one direction, and a downturned end member on the other sectionforming a handle for rotating and tilting said hanger, said outersection having longitudinal depending webs spaced apart laterally andprovided with longitudinally spaced apertures for receiving clotheshanger hooks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS762,989 Drucker June 21, 1904 896,445 Fredericks Aug. 18, 1908 960,549Hoffman June 7, 1910 1,227,705 Ulrich May 29, 1917 1,277,442 McCannSept. 3, 1918 1,370,275 Brager Mar. 1, 1921 1,390,144 Launder Sept. 6,1921 1,396,692 Row et a1. Nov. 8, 1921 1,548,739 Pinto Aug. 4, 19251,993,624 Reussenzehn Mar. 5, 1935

